Son for Hire: Chapter 28 (Patreon)

There is a long period of silence on the other end of the line as Evelyn processes what I had just said.  There is a heavy weight in my gut as I ready myself for the worst.  I did not enjoy giving ultimatums, especially with someone who had already given me so much, and I fully realized that this would likely make this opportunity impossible but sometimes a guy simply had to stand up for the right thing.  I simply could not abandon my sister.  Not in the current circumstances.  I loved her too much and I owed her too much.  And on a purely selfish level it would have ruined any life I might have had out there anyway.  How could I enjoy a better life if I was constantly worrying about Kiki?

“Hello?”  I say when I just could not bear the silence any longer.

“I’m here.”  Evelyn says flatly.  “I’m thinking.”

“I…I understand if this means that we can’t…well, I understand.”

“I want you here.”  I could hear both the desire and disappointment in her voice.

“I want to be there!”  I say back to her, my heart hurting.  “But…I can’t…”

“No.”  She stops me.  “I get it Donald.  I get it and I respect it.”  She lets out a sigh and then says softly.  “My boy is a good boy, and an honorable man.  You make me proud.”

“You’re not angry?”

“Of course not sweetie.  If anything I love you even more.”

“Awww…Mom.”  I say bashfully.

She laughs.

“So what are we going to do?”  I ask.

“Well, I’m not going to give up before we even try.  Am I?”  She says.  “Also, I feel awfully responsible for what happened today.”

“Don’t feel bad.”  I say.  “You didn’t know Diane would do that.  I should have said something first.”

“Still.”  She says.  I could hear hear the gears turning as she thought about the situation.  “How much does Kiki know?  About us?”

“She doesn’t know your secret and she doesn’t know about the, um, Mommy stuff.”  I reply.  “But she knows the basics.”

“And?”

“And…I dunno.  She’s cool with it.”  I say.  “She’s happy for me.   She wants me to go.  She called you my Sugar Mamma.”

“Mmm.”  There’s a pause.  “She’s a working girl, is she?”

“Uh…well, yeah.”  I admit.  “For now.”

“She couldn’t do that here.”

“I know.”  I say.  “She won’t.  She doesn’t bring tricks home with her.”

“Okay, that’s good.”  She says.  “Is she there?  Could I talk to her?”

“You want to talk to Kiki?”  I say, taken off guard by the very idea.

“Yes baby.  I think the women need to talk.”

“Um, she’s out right now.”

“Okay.”  She says.  “Well let me think about things tonight.  She and I can talk tomorrow.”

“So what should I…”

“Shhhh.”  She says softly.  “We’ll figure things out.  It’ll be okay Donald.  Mom and Kiki will figure this out, okay?  Everything’s going to be just fine.”

I let out a breath.  It meant a lot to me to hear those words.  “Okay.”

“I think you’ve been strong enough for one day.”  She says.  “Tell me.  What are you doing right now?”

“Uh…just sitting here thinking about things.”

“Okay.  Listen to me now.”  She says as gentle authority fills her voice.  “I want you to go to bed.  Keep the phone with you and go to bed.”

“Um…okay.”  Getting up I start to walk to my room.  “Why…?”

“Shhhhh.”  She waits a few more seconds.  “Are you there?”

“Yeah.”  I say.  “I’m in my room, I am sitting on my bed now.”

“Good boy.”  She says with warmth.  “Now get under the blankets and really snuggle in there.  Nice and cozy.”

Still dressed I slip under my covers and pull the blankets up around me so that I am a curled up cocoon.  I lay on my side with the phone pressed against my top ear.  “I’m under the blankets.”

“That’s my big brave man.”  She says.  “Now close your eyes.  Close those big beautiful eyes baby.  Are they closed?”

“Yes Mom.”  I whisper.

“Good boyyy.”  She croons.  “Mommy is right there beside you.  Sitting at the edge of your bed watching over her precious boy.  Can you feel me there?”

“Yes.”

“Mommy is watching you baby.  I am right there beside you.”  

“Mmmmm.”  I hum happily as I let my imagination take over.  I could sense her there, seated at my side and gazing down on me.  I could almost feel a soft hand stroking my hair.

“Now clear your mind.”  Her voice lilts, smooth and sultry.  “Let go of all those worries and just listen to the sound of my voice.”

“Okay.”

“There’s a good boy.”  She says.  “It’s time for sleep now.”

“Okayyy.”

“Beautifullll.”  She whispers before breaking into quiet, peaceful, melodious song.  “Hush little baby don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.”

Was this really happening right now?

“And if that mockingbird won’t sing, Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.”

Yep, this was really happening.  With a smile on my face I let out a long breath and feel every ounce of the stress and tension of the day leave my body.  I lay huddled safe and warm beneath my blankets as my lover sings me a lullaby.  Body and spirit seem to float free as the melody lifts me from the physical world and into a blissful state of mind.  The words to the song ends but the tune continues as she hums it dulcetly for a few more blessed minutes.  This eventually ends as well and is followed by the sound of a tender kiss.  A few moments of silence follow before she speaks again.

“I am at your doorway now.”  Her whisper as soft as a summer breeze.  “I am looking at you from the door.  Making sure you are safe and sound in bed.”

“Hmmmm.”

“The door is closing now.  Don’t worry though, Mommy will leave it open a crack.  I’ll be just outside if you need me.”

“Mmmm.”

“Good night my sweet prince.”  She whispers.  “I love youuuu.”

“Love youuuu.”

A lingering pause follows before she hangs up the call.  I let my phone slip down from my cheek to land on the bed beside me.  I keep the blankets tight and my eyes shut, knowing that the moment I open them the fantasy would be gone.  It is in the state of calm that I swiftly drift off to dreamland.

***

Riiiiing!

I am awoken by the harsh chime of my phone.  I blink my eyes open.  It was dark, my bedside clock telling me it as just past 3 in the morning.  What the fuck?  Riiiiing!  It rings again and I fumble around and soon find it among my blankets.  I answer and bring it to my ear.

“Mmm, hello?”  I croak half asleep.

“Hello.”  Comes an unfamiliar stoic female voice over a chaotic background hustle and bustle.  “Am I speaking with Donald Garcia?”

“Uh…yeah?”  I blink a few more times and sit up as I attempt to force my brain into gear.  “Who…?”

“Do you have a sister named Karina?”

Karina?  Nobody called Kiki by her birth name except our mother.  Confusion and terror growing exponentially by the second I struggle to answer.  “Uh…what is this?”

“My name is Kimberly.  I am a nurse in the emergency room at the General Hospital.  You are listed here as the next of kin.  Do you have a sister named Karina?”

Chapter 29